THEMES The theme will be Ardfert “Miracle Hill”. Ideas about miracles will be explored playfully by posing questions: What exactly is a miracle? Do you know any miracles? Are miracles real? Do we need them? Who are the people who inhabit miracles? What are the constituents of a miracle? What do miracles say about us, the inventors and tellers of stories? Why could Ardfert be considered to be the the Hill of the Miracles? Are there any local legends about miracles?
RESIDENCY I propose to be resident with the local primary school for a period of 3 months. During the residency period I will set up a studio where I will share my ideas and conduct a series of workshops on making processes. During workshops I hope to explore themes about Ardfert “Miracle Hill” with all of the children in the school and with members of the wider community. The sculpture will evolve during this period of intensive research with the local community.
Missing image ~ photographs from workshops by JF showing children making press moulds original clay forms and finished moulds
WORKSHOPS Ideas from reference points will feed into an image bank and launch themes for community workshops. Workshops will be discursive and processes will focus on drawing, designing and making individual tiles where participants will explore themes as they are uncovered. Tile techniques will involve carving & modeling clay, making plaster casts and multiples from the casts use press moulding techniques. Participants will paint and glaze their work. Some text may also be integrated into the design, by creating handmade letter tiles. Workshops will result in the production of a large quantity of tiles showing individual responses to the theme. These tiles will be incorporated into the final piece in specific sections of the sculpture. Makers will experience process through all stages from initial idea to glazed and finished piece.
ARTWORK ~ BACKGROUND FOR IDEAS
Missing image photographs of work in progress showing children playing in trench and finished sculpture by JF
When I made Sand Serpent I observed that children demonstrated their instinct for play at an early stage of making, by running around the 18" trench dug for the foundation. Since then I have wanted to create a piece of work that began below ground level and extended above, that would invite interaction from the viewer.
ARTWORK ~ REFERENCES
Missing images ~ Tower of Babel, painting by Breugal, drawing/macquette of Tatlin's 3rd international tower, photograph of a helterskelter
I have based my design on the ancient and enduring form of the spiral. I found reference points in Tatlin's famous constructivist tower, The Monument to the 3rd International (unbuilt), from paintings/images of the tower of Babel and from the iconic Helter Skelter fairground attraction.
MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION The base form will be built of bricks and mortar. This part of the project will be subcontracted to local builder according to the artist's design and supervised by the artist. The design will include appropriate systems of drainage for run off, according to the specifications of an engineer (subcontracted consultation & supervision). The area round the piece will be landscaped, in consultation with landscape architects, to incorporate the surrounding ground and levels into the work.
TIMESCALE Residency and workshops will take place over a 3 month period from signing of contract. Installation of sculpture will take place on site and be delivered within 6 months of start date.
SAFETY The sculpture will consider safety aspects of play involvement, surfaces will be smooth and rounded, passageway and elevation will be made on a human rather than a monumental scale and will consider the size of child. Maximum elevation will be 3 metres above ground level.
EXAMPLES OF IDEAS FROM MY SKETCHBOOK: The examples below show ideas for artwork arising out of the residency with primary school children in Ardfert
Missing image ~ two pages from sketchbook
Missing image ~ blue helter skelter gif and skidded UFO design by JF
I have adapted a graphic image of a helter skelter to show the Ardfert colours. The angle and low level of elevation of this cgi mock-up makes it look like a UFO that has skidded into the earth.
MOSAIC SURFACE The main body of the form will be white and royal blue will be used to outline the recesses of the grotto forms. The design and colour scheme will make bold reference to the fairground helter skelter.
missing IMAGE ~ examples of opus palladianum footpath, the Glen Cork by Julie Forrester (left and centre) and an example of mosaic used in Antoni Gaudi’s popular architecture, Barcelona (right)
Commercial broken tiles will be used to skin over the main form in the opus palladianum pattern, while picture tiles will nestle in the grottos. The design will also incorporate a system of shallow alcoves based on the structure of arches from the Babel Tower, these arches will contain the picture tiles made by participants, like precious icons in small grottos.
The installation of mosaic work will be carried out by the artist assisted by trainees, sourced locally.
THEMES The theme will be Ardfert “Miracle Hill”. Ideas about miracles will be explored playfully by posing questions: What exactly is a miracle? Do you know any miracles? Are miracles real? Do we need them? Who are the people who inhabit miracles? What are the constituents of a miracle? What do miracles say about us, the inventors and tellers of stories? Why could Ardfert be considered to be the the Hill of the Miracles? Are there any local legends about miracles?
RESIDENCY I propose to be resident with the local primary school for a period of 3 months. During the residency period I will set up a studio where I will share my ideas and conduct a series of workshops on making processes. During workshops I hope to explore themes about Ardfert “Miracle Hill” with all of the children in the school and with members of the wider community. The sculpture will evolve during this period of intensive research with the local community.
Missing image ~ photographs from workshops by JF showing children making press moulds original clay forms and finished moulds
WORKSHOPS Ideas from reference points will feed into an image bank and launch themes for community workshops. Workshops will be discursive and processes will focus on drawing, designing and making individual tiles where participants will explore themes as they are uncovered. Tile techniques will involve carving & modeling clay, making plaster casts and multiples from the casts use press moulding techniques. Participants will paint and glaze their work. Some text may also be integrated into the design, by creating handmade letter tiles. Workshops will result in the production of a large quantity of tiles showing individual responses to the theme. These tiles will be incorporated into the final piece in specific sections of the sculpture. Makers will experience process through all stages from initial idea to glazed and finished piece.
ARTWORK ~ BACKGROUND FOR IDEAS
Missing image photographs of work in progress showing children playing in trench and finished sculpture by JF
When I made Sand Serpent I observed that children demonstrated their instinct for play at an early stage of making, by running around the 18" trench dug for the foundation. Since then I have wanted to create a piece of work that began below ground level and extended above, that would invite interaction from the viewer.
ARTWORK ~ REFERENCES
Missing images ~ Tower of Babel, painting by Breugal, drawing/macquette of Tatlin's 3rd international tower, photograph of a helterskelter
I have based my design on the ancient and enduring form of the spiral. I found reference points in Tatlin's famous constructivist tower, The Monument to the 3rd International (unbuilt), from paintings/images of the tower of Babel and from the iconic Helter Skelter fairground attraction.
MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION The base form will be built of bricks and mortar. This part of the project will be subcontracted to local builder according to the artist's design and supervised by the artist. The design will include appropriate systems of drainage for run off, according to the specifications of an engineer (subcontracted consultation & supervision). The area round the piece will be landscaped, in consultation with landscape architects, to incorporate the surrounding ground and levels into the work.
TIMESCALE Residency and workshops will take place over a 3 month period from signing of contract. Installation of sculpture will take place on site and be delivered within 6 months of start date.
SAFETY The sculpture will consider safety aspects of play involvement, surfaces will be smooth and rounded, passageway and elevation will be made on a human rather than a monumental scale and will consider the size of child. Maximum elevation will be 3 metres above ground level.
EXAMPLES OF IDEAS FROM MY SKETCHBOOK: The examples below show ideas for artwork arising out of the residency with primary school children in Ardfert
Missing image ~ two pages from sketchbook
Missing image ~ blue helter skelter gif and skidded UFO design by JF
I have adapted a graphic image of a helter skelter to show the Ardfert colours. The angle and low level of elevation of this cgi mock-up makes it look like a UFO that has skidded into the earth.
MOSAIC SURFACE The main body of the form will be white and royal blue will be used to outline the recesses of the grotto forms. The design and colour scheme will make bold reference to the fairground helter skelter.
missing IMAGE ~ examples of opus palladianum footpath, the Glen Cork by Julie Forrester (left and centre) and an example of mosaic used in Antoni Gaudi’s popular architecture, Barcelona (right)
Commercial broken tiles will be used to skin over the main form in the opus palladianum pattern, while picture tiles will nestle in the grottos. The design will also incorporate a system of shallow alcoves based on the structure of arches from the Babel Tower, these arches will contain the picture tiles made by participants, like precious icons in small grottos.
The installation of mosaic work will be carried out by the artist assisted by trainees, sourced locally.